Field of the Technology
The present technology relates generally to hearing prostheses, and more particularly, to identifying system characteristics such as vibrating actuator characteristics, implant characteristics, coupling characteristics or other system characteristics in a hearing prosthesis.
Related Art
Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types, conductive and sensorineural. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear, or to the nerve pathways connecting the inner ear to the brain. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the normal mechanical pathways that provide sound to the cochlea are impeded, for example, by damage to the ossicular chain or ear canal. However, individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss may retain some form of residual hearing because the hair cells in the cochlea may remain undamaged. As a result, individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss typically receive a hearing prosthesis that generates mechanical motion of the cochlea fluid. Still other individuals suffer from mixed hearing losses, that is, conductive hearing loss in conjunction with sensorineural hearing. Such individuals may have damage to the outer or middle ear, as well as to the inner ear (cochlea). Individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss typically receive an acoustic hearing aid. Unfortunately, not all individuals suffer from conductive hearing loss are able to derive suitable benefit from hearing aids.
Another type of hearing prosthesis delivers mechanical stimulation to a recipient. Such mechanical stimulating hearing prostheses include middle ear implants that deliver mechanical vibrations to the ossicles of the middle ear or directly to the cochlea, semicircular canals, vestibule or other part of the inner ear. Another type of mechanical stimulating hearing prosthesis, commonly referred to as a bone conduction devices, converts a received sound into mechanical vibrations that are delivered to the cranium, mandible or other part of the skull. The vibrations are transferred through the bones of the skull to the cochlea resulting in a hearing percept.